Cervical cancer - how to avoid HPV infection

About 80 percent of women have had contact with HPV at least once in their lifetime. Aggressive strains of this virus number 16 and 18 are responsible for more than 70 percent of cervical cancer cases. So it's time to take a closer look at HPV.

Cervical canceris not a hereditary disease, it is caused by certain typesHPV(Human Papillomavirus). There are over 100 variants of this virus, but most of them do not cause cancer. Two types of viruses are considered highly oncogenic - HPV 16 and HPV 18, and they are responsible for the majority of cases of cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer - how you can get infected with HPV

HPV infection occurs mainly through sexual intercourse. Another source of infection is the intimate contact of the partners' genital skin (therefore, the condom, although it can reduce the risk of infection, does not fully protect against it).
The virus is spread easily and is very widespread. It is estimated that up to 80% of sexually active women will contract HPV at least once during their lifetime.

Cervical cancer - remember about cytology

Cytology is a form of diagnosis and control - it is best to do such a test once a year. Regularly performed, it allows you to detect changes in the cervix. The early detection of the presence of abnormal cells allows for a timely treatment initiation - most of the early cell changes in the cervical epithelium respond well to the therapy, thanks to which cancer progression can be prevented.
Remember! Cervical cancer is an insidious disease, it develops painlessly for years, without any symptoms.

Cervical cancer is the abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells in the cervical epithelium (the lower part of the uterus that flows into the vagina).

It is the second most common neoplastic disease among women, leading to 270 thousand people every year. deaths worldwide.

In terms of cervical cancer mortality, Poland ranks first in the European Union.

In Poland, 4,000 people get infected with HPV every year of people, half of them die. This means that every day 5 Polish women lose their lives due to this disease.

The risk of falling ill is greater when: you do not treatintimate infections, you started intercourse before the age of 16, had many partners, gave birth to several children, your partner has intercourse with other women and / or is HPV carrier, you are HIV positive.

Can vaccinations change the statistics?

Recently, Polish women have the opportunity to be vaccinated against infection with the two most dangerous types of HPV - 16 and 18, which can lead to the development of cervical cancer.
There are two vaccines available in our pharmacies. The first one is intended to protect not only against diseases caused by the two most aggressive types of the virus, but also against genital warts in women and men (about 90% of this disease is related to HPV types 6 and 11 - these are the so-called varieties. low risk, does not cause cervical cancer). The second, on the other hand, contains a special type of substance that enhances the immune system's response to the vaccine and extends the protection against the types of viruses that cause cancer.
It seems that vaccination may be an effective weapon against HPV, but only time will show whether this will actually translate into a decrease in female mortality due to cervical cancer.